Such a unique and beautiful hike!!!! We even got to see some very hard snow that was almost gone,…read moredue to the rain and winds. I would highly recommend that at least 50% of the group have the trail downloaded, and you carry extra phone chargers. A few people who were with us almost got lost. It is very easy to do so if you are not paying attention. There is also one portion that becomes very steep. Take your time and bring a stick or poles if you need to. Other than that, the views are breathtaking, so enjoy! I would 1000% do this trail again, but only in a larger group with more experienced hikers. Hoping they are able to locate Monica Reza!! Please, please, please, do not leave anyone behind on their own. This is not an easy trail to guide yourself. There was a lovely man we met on the trail who hikes this consistently, and he cautioned us against losing people.

I bagged a peak this summer!! And the Waterman Mountain loop trail has become my number one fave…read morelocal trail here in SoCal. Getting up to Waterman peak isn't terribly technical - more of a straightforward moderate hike on well marked trails with tons of biodiversity and beautiful views. I hiked it towards the end of June and there were beautiful native SoCal blooms scattered along the trail - with so many native bees! The hike is through a burn scar (from the Peak Fire in 2021 I think) - so it can be a bit barren and burned up in places but it's heartening to see how well the area is recovering. I also ran into countless Pygmy Nuthatches (a lifer for me!!), White-headed Woodpeckers, squirrels, chipmunks, and even some cute tiny spiders! But this is Black Bear and Mountain Lion country so be vigilant and carry bear spray. All in all, I hiked around 6.4 miles with around 1380+ feet elevation gain. The trails are narrow in a lot of spots and mostly consists of rocks, loose dirt, and fine gravel. The first half of the trail is through forest and burn scar. The last half after the peak and old ski resort (long closed) is very exposed fire road with no shade and minimal views. On subsequent hikes I tend to skip that part and just turn around after the peak bc I like that part of the trail better lol. The peak of Waterman Mtn sits at 8030 feet. There's a great sign at the peak made by @peakart125 (on instagram) - it's lovely and makes for a fun way to celebrate making it all the way up! There's a sort of false peak right before the actual peak so I highly recommend making sure you've downloaded the trail map on AllTrails before heading out since cell signal is minimal to nonexistent on the trail. The views from the peak are a tad obstructed by rocks and trees - but you still get nice pocket views of Twin Peaks, the valley, and Mt Wilson observatory. It's also interesting to explore the old ski resort near the peak. There's tons of equipment and a chair lift but it doesn't look like it's been opened for years probably. AllTrails also shows a bathroom up there but I didn't find one so come prepared. There's a bathroom next to the paved parking area in a campground entrance at the trailhead. There's plenty of parking - almost all paved. You'll need an adventure pass to park bc it's in the Angeles National Forest - but they accept America the Beautiful passes too! I pretty much had the trail to myself on the weekday early morning. I only ran into two people - turned out it was search and rescue looking for missing hiker Monica Reza who went missing the weekend before my hike (I think she was last seen June 22nd, 2025). I helped a bit in the search on my way out but no luck. My understanding is she's still missing (I included a photo - they're still looking for volunteers to help search if you're interested!) - be aware and keep a lookout if you do the trail! They also have Instagram and FB pages for updates.

Hiked up Strawberry Peak on April 14 and had a great experience. What I really liked about the…read moretrail were the two separate rock climbs near the peak of the mountain. Both rock climbs are located at an elevation between about 5000 to 6000 feet, so if you're planning to do the hike during the winter season, it's probably a good idea to check the snow level before heading out. No equipment is needed for the rock climbs, and there are markings on the rocks (arrows in a variety of colors) that point out the best route to take. It can be a little difficult at times to find the arrows or the correct route to take, but if you take your time you shouldn't have any problems. I have to admit though that there was a moment or two when I was hanging onto a rock (on the side of a mountain and without any equipment) where I thought to myself - uh, what am I doing? The trail is pretty steep, about a 2700 feet elevation gain during the 3 mile ascent up to the peak, so with the two rock climbs it provides a pretty good workout. Definitely a much better workout than a 5-6 mile run on relatively flat ground. Even though the hike is only 6 miles round trip, I would budget at least 4 to 5 hours to complete the hike. The two rock climbs take some time to navigate.

Definitely not for the faint of heart!…read more PARKING 2 dirt lots off of Highway 2 just past the Switzer Falls turnoff. Must display Adventure Pass. There is no trail sign or marker but take the obvious dirt path and stay on it (don't go up the rocks) COLBY TRAIL Clearly defined winding trail. It's certainly steep, but I didn't have any issues with it. After 2.2 miles (maybe 40 minutes-1 hour of hiking) you'll come to a water tower where the trail splits and is unmarked. Take the trail on the right and after a couple hundred feet is a small rock pile designating a smaller trail to the right. Take this if you're intent on the mountaineer route up to Strawberry. STRAWBERRY MOUNTAINEER TRAIL The steepness definitely increases as you continue up the ridge line. You'll come to the first rocky cragg where you'll need to use your hands and feet to climb. Be very careful as some of the rocks are loose and will crumble as you grab them. There is no defined trail just get to the top of the crag however you like. After that you'll continue on the ridge to the summit. The trail is very overgrown with Spanish Bayonets and Poodle Bush. Avoid touching the plants as much as possible but you WILL touch them. Although the trail is overgrown it's pretty obvious where you should be going. I unfortunately had to turn around before the last bouldering part because I started the hike too late in the day. Will have to come back! Happy hiking!

Sunday I hike with a friend through red box parking lot to do San Gabriel 5 peaks Circular a total…read moreof 13 miles. The wind was wild but we did all 5 peaks. San Gabriel peaks was a moderate hike not the many people and there is bench and have two plaques if you want to take pictures with it The view is ok..... Recommended to do Mt Markham, Mt Disappointment, Mt Deception and Mt Lowe since all are close by and you can do a loop. Look in All trails San Gabriel 5 Peaks Circular and you can download the map. Enjoy the trails and please leave no trace.

Fantastic local hike - definitely one of the easier peaks in the area in terms of strenuous level…read more But if you're afraid of heights (like me) then it's a feat of psychological endurance as well haha! Amazing views follow you almost the entire trail - on clear days you see the whole SGV from multiple spots along the trail, not just the top! The trail is well maintained but has definitely experienced some washout from all these storms. It's extremely narrow with no safety enhancements so take your time and be careful. A lot of the time you're up against the wall of the mountain with sheer drops on the other side of you. It's all very rocky and loose gravel too. I recommend hiking boots with good traction and poles! I don't usually bring my poles but they were a lifesaver on this trail. I was more terrified on this trail than even Angels Landing in Zion so it's definitely not for the faint of heart if you're scared of heights haha! There were patches of snow and ice at the top - I really was wishing for my spikes. It was slippery and scary - and yes, I slid back down on my butt for part of it haha! No shame! The top has amazing views on clear days. The clouds came rolling in right as I made it up so I didn't get to see the valley but the clouds were very dramatic and beautiful- and made it haunting and eerie on the way down. So worth it! There are several places you can start the hike from - I started from the Eaton Saddle trailhead as it's the most straightforward. AllTrails tells you it's 2.8 miles but my tracker read 3.5 miles at the end. You'll gain just over 1030 feet in elevation - half of that elevation gain is in the last half mile so be prepared - it's a great workout and totally doable. If I can do it, you can do it! You pass through Mueller Tunnel pretty early on - it was flooded at the end from all this rain - but if you keep to the right there's some shallow rocks you can cross on to keep dry. After about a mile (maybe less) you'll come to a crossroads - the left takes you to the Mt Lowe trails so keep right for San Gabriel peak. The next crossroads you come to, you'll also keep right. If you go left, you can also summit Mt Disappointment- I skipped it to save my energy but it doesn't add too much - less than a mile I think but several hundred feet in elevation is gained. The top of the peak is just over 6160 feet so it's a great vantage point - it's even higher than Mt Wilson!! There used to be a sign and a registry box up there but they were both gone when I went sadly. The parking lot is small at the trailhead but I had no issues - I arrived around 1030am on a weekday. To get there, put "Eaton saddle trailhead" into your gps - don't put "San Gabriel Peak" bc it'll take you on a wild goose chase - and that's why I got such a late start lol! It's a lovely drive along highway 2 and you turn into Red Box - there are bathrooms right at that turn so I recommend to stop there bc there aren't any on the trailhead or along the trail. There are also bathroom stops along highway 2 on the way. An adventure pass is required to park - but the national parks pass works too. Such a great challenge and you can't beat the views! Highly recommend!

This trail (and by the way I have no idea how it got its name) is hidden in the hills above…read moreGlendale and La Crescenta. It's one of my favorite hikes in the area because it's pretty strenuous, yet it's all uphill out and downhill back (my favorite kind of hike). I love it because you got some pretty awesome views after just a few minutes of hiking. In fact I think this trail has some of the best views of the Crescenta Valley in the area. The Yelp directions are really accurate but parking is limited as it's in a residential area. I was lucky enough to hike on a weekday and have no idea what it would be like on a weekend; I found parking easily and didn't see another soul, other than a gazillion lizards. Be safe, take a cell phone and any other safety gear that's needed. And don't forget water.

Don't ever go on this trail. You'll absolutely hate it. You'll be miserable and the grueling hours…read moreyou spend hiking it will be time you'll never get back. Just don't even consider it - move on to other trails. No seriously don't keep reading bc it's a waste of time. Ok, now that I've weeded out the people who don't really read on haha...Actually this "trail" is truly a whimsical hidden gem! I hesitate to review it bc it's still largely quiet and lightly trafficked! A real local secret treasure! We LOVED our hike here! It's along a "fire road" but don't let that fool you - it's not paved. It's rocky and bumpy and definitely still feels like a nature trail (but the incline is very gradual and we didn't need any poles). Seems like only service vehicles use it and not very often. It's wide and easy to hike on. The incline is a good butt-kicker - a great workout but very manageable if you're at all used to any incline. I found it to be pretty easy, even though AllTrails calls it moderate (and I'm not "in shape" by any stretch of the imagination lol). We did 6 miles total with a gain of just under 1100 feet. Incline all the way in, downhill all the way out - just how I like it! I love trails that have a little "reward" to work towards and this one does not disappoint!! If you make it all the way, you're rewarded with a really cool tee pee (although it's bare right now with no canvas), a cool bee farm next to a lavender field, amazing views, and a small rock maze with a treat inside! We sat up on a high rocky vantage point to really soak it all in and refuel before heading back down. But really you're rewarded all along the way bc the views are just breathtaking! There's a nice bench about halfway where you can see all of the SGV, the LA basin, DTLA, and even Marina del Rey!! It was a tad smoggy but you can see the ocean and Channel Islands too when it's more clear. I bet sunsets are just incredible here! The other name for this trail is the "Tee Pee trail" and that's how you find it on AllTrails. It's right off the Angeles Crest Hwy. We just plugged "Mt Lukens Fire Road" into our gps and it took us right to the parking area. Parking is a dirt/gravel pull out on the side of the highway. It's narrow and backs right up to a steep mountain drop off so be very careful when parking or you'll go over the side of the mountain!! Kinda scary! You'll know you're there bc you'll see a ranger station across the hwy from the parking and that's where the trailhead is...even though it says "not open to the public" - it's ok to hike it - they just don't want anyone driving inside. Crossing the road from the parking is also a little scary though bc it's hard to see cars coming around the bends so be careful and RUN! Lol To get to the tee pee and bee farm, you'll eventually come to a cute mailbox marked "Bee Flat" with a chain across the road at the top of a hill. You'll see a nice, grassy area with a well worn trail. Go to the left of the mailbox and head towards the beehives. The tee pee is all the way at the end. It's private property but the owners allow hikers unless otherwise stated. It's not residential at all so it's not like it's someone's house or yard or anything. It's just a small little bee/lavender farm area. I think an adventure pass is required to park. And it's limited and seems to fill fast - it was almost full when we arrived at 745am on a Friday! But it was virtually empty when we left around lunch time. And there aren't any bathrooms so come prepared. This trail does go far on beyond the tee pee area - my understanding is it takes you all the way to the Mt Lukens peak which is the highest point within the LA city limits! #hikinggoals!!

Surprisingly or not, there are so many awesome hiking trails in and around the LA area and this is…read moreone of those nice hiking trails that is not too difficult but also long enough and enough elevation gain to get some good exercise and enjoy the outdoors and the views of LA.

While the initial goal was to just pass through Colorado Street Bridge, we instead on a whim…read moredecided to park and explore the area, leading us to this charming trail. Plenty of trees for shade and not too many inclines, this is a great place for leisure walking/jogging around and exploring. It's also great to just look up and admire all the bridges along the way. There was a small stream of water in some areas, so you might have to do some stonefhopping. However, for the most part it was pretty dry. Another thing worth noting was how quiet the trail felt, even though there were others strolling about. I'd imagine a good deal of that was just the effects of the pandemic on people's interpersonal skills, but who knows? Overall, it's a great change of scenery. The bridges add a little something you don't see/feel much around LA, so I recommend a visit.

Nice walk - free parking at nearby Rose Bowl Aquatic center. Leave parking lot and walk away from…read moreBowl and when you get to a sign you'll see a trail heading down under bridge - walk a ways and you'll come across plaque- can turn around or loop around at any time or continue on much farther down into the arroyo.

One of my favorite trails of the Angeles. It's less crowded than Echo Mountain or Eton. It's longer…read morethan Millard or Monrovia. You can couple it with Millard falls to see water if you like, otherwise you are up on the ridge. It's single track and there are occasional mountain bikers to beware of. Otherwise, on a weekday it's solitude and beauty. I would say it's a moderate hike depending on how high you go up. Beware there is a lot of poison oak. In the spring and early summer there are a lot of gorgeous flowers. Enjoy!!!

Five stars for the view at the top!! So beautiful! You can see all off LA…read more The hike itself is pretty challenging. Most people would be able to do this, but it has quite a few steep uphill portions. Definitely wear hiking/trail shoes. We went in the morning, so most of the climb up was shaded, which was nice. Then we took the paved path back down to the start. You can spending 2+ hours out here, taking about an hour to get to the main peak area with a few picnic tables. Would be a great spot for have lunch or a snack! Then there is further spots you can continue on to. The trail is not heavily trafficked, but they were a number of mountain bikes. Keep you eyes open for them speeding down the mountain! I would absolutely hike here again, great workout & beautiful views. (And easy parking compared to many places in LA!)

Excellent hiking trail in Pasadena area. Well maintaoned. We went early and avoided all the crowds…read morethat we ran into at the end of our 2 hours in and out.

A super lowkey trail that's perfect if you just want to get some easy steps in. Keep in mind that…read moreit's not very shaded so wear sun protection accordingly!